Very Rev. John Parker, pictured with His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, receives his Doctor of Ministry degree from St. Vladimir's Seminary in January, 2018“St. Tikhon’s has a remarkable and rich history,” said Fr. John. “I am beyond humbled to be invited to serve where the saints have walked, and where our new saints are being formed.”

Since 2003, Fr. John has served as the Rector of Holy Ascension Church, Mount Pleasant, SC. In 2011, Father John was appointed Chair of the Department of Evangelization of the Orthodox Church in America. He has overseen the Church Planting Grant Program, worked to build bridges to the Orthodox Faith with Anglicans and Evangelicals, and hosted a regular podcast on Ancient Faith Radio, Lord Send Me. He has given talks and retreats on missions and evangelism in many of the dioceses of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), in several Antiochian Orthodox parishes, and internationally in Finland and Greece. For five years he has served on the Board of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center.